Burg Lobenhausen, castle

Burg Lobenhausen is a ruined hilltop castle on the Schlossberg ridge at 412.6 m above sea level, at the southern foot of Lobenhausen in Kirchberg an der Jagst. Only small remnants of the ring wall survive, built into a farmhouse, and the castle chapel was attached to the south side of that wall.

The castle was built in the 11th century by the counts of Lobenhausen, who are documented from 1085 to 1344, and it was first mentioned in 1295. It was also held by the lords of Hohenlohe at times. Partially destroyed in the Peasants' War of 1525, it was rebuilt afterwards, but was plundered and again partly destroyed in 1645 during the Thirty Years' War. By the 18th century it had fallen into ruin.

The counts of Lobenhausen, documented from 1085 to 1344, gave the village and the castle their name. In 1856 the Württemberg king revived the title for Prince Heinrich zu Hohenlohe-Kirchberg on his morganatic marriage to Anna Therese von Landzert; widowed in 1859 and childless, she was still listed as Countess of Lobenhausen in the Gotha in 1874. The castle chapel stood on the south side of the ring wall.

The ruin sits on a hill north of Lobenhausen, accessible via Burgweg, a small road leading uphill. The location offers good views of the surrounding countryside and is easy to explore on foot, though no facilities are available at the site itself.

The castle chapel stood on the southern side, built against the ring wall. Only small remnants of that wall survive, incorporated into a farmhouse. The chapel itself has disappeared, leaving no trace above ground.